SkyTeam to speed up customer-focused initiatives

Skyteam has announced several priority initiatives to enrich customer experience, strengthen the global network and achieve synergies.

This year, SkyTeam rolled-out SkyPriority, a series of distinctive branded priority airport services consistently offered to Elite Plus, First and business-class customers throughout the alliance network. It aims to help top customers travel faster through the airport – from checking in, to security, boarding and picking up their bags.

Another initiative is SkyTransfer, improving further on seamless, straightforward transfers of passengers and their baggage from one member airline to another. Currently, SkyTeam members offer 300,000+ weekly saleable connections. SkyTeam has identified multiple areas to improve the transfer process between members. Some elements are organizing recognition and service recovery, monitoring critical transfers and staff training. The first nine airports selected as ‘excellence hubs’ also represent the highest transfer flows within the SkyTeam network: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Beijing, Guangzhou, Mexico City, Paris, Rome, Seoul and Shanghai.

SkyPortincreases the number of shared locations worldwide. Co-located facilities such as London Heathrow T4, Tokyo Narita and Beijing enable customers to checkin at SkyTeam areas or self-service kiosks. This year two new SkyTeam-branded lounges are planned for Beijing and Istanbul and SkyTeam partners are starting a pilot for fast bag drop at London Heathrow T4.

With the recent joining of Saudi, SkyTeam welcomed its first member from the Middle East, giving the alliance a strong foothold in this important economic region. On June 28, Middle East Airlines from Lebanon will be the next member to join the alliance. AerolíneasArgentinas is scheduled to join on August 29 as the first South American member, strengthening SkyTeam network in the southern hemisphere and on November 15, Xiamen Airlines, based in Southeast China region will join.

The effective joining date of Garuda Indonesia, expanding SkyTeam’s presence in Southeast Asia, has been planned for early 2014. This is due to Garuda’s selection of a new IT platform and the time necessary to migrate the airline to the new system.